Cambodia will host the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on Nov 16-17in Phnom Penh under the theme “Strengthening Multilateralism for Shared Growth”. The summit will be the country’s biggest, historic international event, with the participation of government leaders from 51 countries and two regional organizations (Asean and the EU).
ASEM partners represent 65 per cent of the global economy, 60 per cent of the world’s population, 55 per cent of world trade, and 75 per cent of world tourism.
Celebrating ASEM Day on March 10, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, announced that that the theme of the ASEM13 focuses on four key concepts, namely multilateralism, growth, sustainable development and prosperity. It is aimed to contribute to the enhancement of the Asia-Europe partnership to ensure that multilateralism brings sustainable and inclusive growth and shared prosperity.
Although Cambodia has experience in organising international forums such as the Asean Summit, East Asia Summit, the 37th World Heritage Session, Asian Cultural Council (ACC), the 2nd Asia-Pacific Summit, among others, organising ASEM is a challenging task for this small country.
Cambodia has recently named the “small country with a big heart” thanks to its humanitarian act to allow the cruise ship MS Westerdam to dock at Sihanouk port on Feb 13 after the ship had been rejected by five countries over the fear of COVID-19. The vessel carried more than 2,000 tourists and crew members.
Hosting ASEM13 is generally viewed as a “small country with big tasks”. The edited book published by the well-known and most influential think tank in Cambodia, the Asian Vision Institute (AVI), highlights the commitment of Cambodia as the chair of ASEM13 to build international consensus on promoting international partnership and solidarity to address global issues and to enhance multilateral system and rules-based international order.
Sok Siphana, Chairman of AVI, wrote that, “With vision, ambition and action, Cambodia will work with other ASEM members to actively advance long-term cooperation between Asia and Europe to bring more benefits to the people and make an even greater contribution to peace, stability, prosperity and development of the world”.
“Various stakeholders can play a part in pursuing social and economic inclusion and sustainable societies. People-centred development is extremely important for the future of a “societally relevant ASEM,” he added.
It is necessary to build international consensus and partnership to address global issues and challenges such as pandemic diseases, especially the global alliance to contain and mitigate COVID-19, climate change and its implications on food security and water security, natural disasters and inequality.
Asia and Europe need to strengthen solidarity against protectionism and unilateralism and restore liberal international order that is based on the rule of law, inclusiveness and openness. It is time for small states and middle powers to work together to shape the emerging multipolar world order.
Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn said at the ASEM Day: “ASEM has played a crucial role in promoting Asia-Europe partnership and cooperation for enhanced peace, economic prosperity and social progress… ASEM has become one of the cornerstones of the multilateral system and global governance.”
“As a small but nonetheless sovereign state, we value foremost its core principles of informality, flexibility, and mutual interest in the spirit of consensus and equal partnership,” he added.
He asserted that hosting ASEM is “the greatest opportunity for Cambodia to affirm, at the highest level, our commitment to strengthen the multilateral system, our contribution to the promotion of collective efforts to address global challenges and our participation in the exploring opportunities to revitalise the global economy”.
Source: Khmer Times
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<p>Time: November 2025<br /> By: WTO and International Trade Group, Legal Department – VCCI</p>
